


50 Ways to (not) Say I Love You

by Kakairuaddictwithapen



Category: Naruto
Genre: Boys In Love, Comfort, Domestic Bliss, Fluffy, I have no inspiration of my own, I tried to go more beautiful in the writing style, M/M, Prompt Fic, blink and you miss it - Freeform, cuz that’s my kink, slight body worship, sweet as HECK, taking care of a partner, the slightest of angsts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 17:21:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20679068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kakairuaddictwithapen/pseuds/Kakairuaddictwithapen
Summary: Kakashi loves Iruka. He just doesn’t know how to say it.





	50 Ways to (not) Say I Love You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MagnusTesla](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagnusTesla/gifts).

> This is a thank you fic, a “you’ve opened your arms and heart and answered my dumb questions and you’re a wonderful part of this community and I don’t know how to express it”, fic. 
> 
> So thank you MagnusTesla. I so look forward to growing our new friendship ❤️

Kakashi loved Iruka. He knew he did, with every fiber of his being, with every broken shard of his heart. Day by day Iruka was taking and mending him, making him whole. To Iruka, Kakashi was a person, worthy of love and affection. Joy bubbled up so easily from him, keeping none of his emotions bottled up, from anger to grief to love.  
Love.  
The word scared Kakashi more than any missing-nin. But for Iruka, he was willing to try. 

He hadn’t verbalized love since his father had died, since before Kakashi was a ninja himself. Four year old Kakashi was allowed to love and love freely, six year old Kakashi knew the dangers of such feelings.  
So it goes. 

Iruka understood this. He had voiced his “I love you’s” knowing full well that Kakashi didn’t love him yet.  
They had been laying in bed, sticky and sated, curled up in a tangle of legs and arms and lips. It wasn’t the first time they’d had sex, but it felt like the first time they’d ‘made love.’ Iruka had lifted his head from where it had been pillowed on Kakashi’s shoulder, had traced Kakashi’s lips with his fingertips. In a raspy midnight whisper he’d given voice to the sentiments Kakashi had longed for, feared for. A quiet, “it’s ok, I don’t think you love me yet, but I love you,” rose from his lips and rested in kakashi’s bones. “Don’t say anything, just kiss me.” And who was Kakashi to resist such lovely orders? 

That had been a few months ago, and Kakashi was hopelessly, irrecoverably, completely, in love. And he was ready to prove it. 

Kakashi himself had been the (victim) recipient of wordless love for years now. The Sandaime And Asuma were like family, not to mention Gai. He’d watched other couples, memorized how Minato had treated Kushina. Plan “Make sure my boyfriend knows I love him without me having to say it out loud” was a go. 

He’d felt Iruka leave the bed early that morning, he slept over at Kakashi’s most weekdays, as Kakashi’s apartment was closer to the academy. At least, that’s what they’d told themselves. They spent more nights and mornings together than apart, and if Kakashi was gone, he still slept at Kakashi’s flat.  
He’d grumbled and complained at the loss of body heat, but let Iruka kiss him goodbye.  
“I switched my missions desk shift, so I’ll be home for dinner.” Gone were the days of anxious “if you’re free?” Only security remained, both knowing they were wanted, and that time would be made.  
Kakashi nodded sleepily, and let his lover go. He had the rest of the week off, and he planned on sleeping, and sleeping, and maaaybe making dinner. If he was done sleeping, that is b

Kakashi heard about the attack after it happened. Threats from inside the village were small, but not unheard of. A former student of Iruka’s had gone on a mission, and he had been killed. His big sister, a kunoichi named Aneko hadn’t known what to do with her despair, and had attacked the man she saw as responsible, the man who had failed to train her brother well enough to keep him alive- Iruka-Sensei.  
Iruka had disarmed her and protected his students with no problem, but sustained a bruise or two. He let the students go early, hugging the crying ones and complementing the brave. A fellow teacher had sent Kakashi a note, and he’d just finished reading it when Iruka walked through the door. Iruka had rolled his eyes at Kakashi’s killing intent, and enfolded him in his arms.  
“I’m fine Kashi,” he puffed against Kakashi’s collarbone, “She was about seventeen, nothing I couldn’t handle.”  
Kakashi gave him a once over. Iruka’s forearm was bruised, a light purple-grey on golden skin. He didn’t say anything, just slowly, gently, all the while maintaining eye contact, mouthed over the bruise. The kiss was feather light, and Iruka shivered.  
“Come on. I made food.”  
Kakashi could tell that Iruka was exhausted. He may have been fine physically, but he was mentally drained. So they ate in silence, the comfortable kind that settled over them like a light blanket on a fall day. By the time Iruka had finished, his shoulders had slumped, the weight of the day fulling hitting him.  
“Come lay on the couch, Ru. Put on some mindless TV and space out for a bit.” Iruka nodded, not bothered by the break in reverie. Kakashi sat on the very end, flipping through the seemingly endless channels. Iruka put a pillow on Kakashi’s lap, and settled himself in. Kakashi helped settle a blanket around him, and ran his fingers through the teachers hair. Gently, he rubbed the mans scalp until he could feel the tension dissipate underneath his fingers.

He untangled, and smoothed, and put as much care as he could into the act.   
“Kashi?”   
“Mhm?”   
“I’m falling asleep, can we go to bed?”   
Kakashi looked down at him. “Do you want to shower first?”   
Iruka nodded, and Kakashi carefully finagled his arm under Iruka’s knees, and swept him up bridal style. Iruka gasped, and went to protest being treated like a woman, but Kakashi kissed his protests away. “You watch over me when I’m sick and hurt and chakra exhausted, let me take care of you.” Iruka narrowed his eyes, but let Kakashi carry him to the shower.   
Iruka tucked himself up against Kakashi’s front, and let Kakashi shampoo and carefully condition his hair. They soaped themselves up, touches becoming less about getting clean, and more about sharing teasing stokes. Iruka was gasping by the time they were both clean, practically dragging his partner into bed. 

It didn’t take long for them to come undone, mouths and hands working overtime, open mouthed kisses being pressed to every bit of available skin, finishing with each other’s names breathed into still night air.   
“Should’ve done that first, the shower was kind of pointless.” Iruka smiled.   
“At least we got your hair clean,” Kakashi replied, gently pushing stands of hair from Iruka’s face. “We can rinse off later if you want.”   
Iruka nodded, but snuggled down further into the blankets.   
“You get the wet spot.”   
Kakashi laughed aloud, so overwhelmed by love, love of the man in his bed and in his heart. “Anything for you Sensei.”  
He reached for Iruka’s hand, and held on tight. He rubbed the skin he found there, knuckles graced with old scars, calloused thumbs, and soft, warm palms. This is what love felt like. A quiet night, warm skin, and a man he got to share his life with. As he dragged his thumb up and down, up and down, he heard Iruka softly whisper,   
“I love you too, Kakashi.”   
And Kakashi knew he had succeeded in his mission.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this instead of doing schoolwork!  
Cheers!  
* the name Aneko means older sister, because I’m creative *  
Prompts in order  
*Lightly kissing on top of a freshly formed bruise  
*Sitting in comfortable silence while eating a meal  
*Running your fingers through their hair while sitting next to them on the couch  
*Washing their hair/back in the shower  
*Tucking their hair behind their ear to help them get it out of their face  
*Rubbing the back of their hand with a thumb   
These are all prompts from a Tumblr list called 50 Wordless Ways to Say “I Love You” from 50-item-writing-prompts


End file.
